WATCHDOG RAPS THE OC AD

British TV network CHANNEL 4 has been publicly criticised by media regulator OFCOM over its advertising campaign for the second season of hit American drama THE OC.

Channel 4 promoted the launch of the new series last month (JAN05) with actor CHRIS CARMACK's (LUKE) infamous line in the pilot episode of the show, where he introduced himself to BEN McKENZIE's outsider character RYAN to Newport Beach, with the sentence, "Welcome to the OC, bitch."

Executives at Channel 4 argued the word "bitch" was used "as irreverent mockery rather than in an abusive or aggressive manner", despite the character of Luke saying it after he has beaten Ryan.

Ofcom noted that, while fans of the drama would not be offended, regular Channel 4 viewers would not understand the plot reference and would find the channel breaches British programming standards.

Ofcom says, "We understand parents' concern at their children being exposed to this offensive term unexpectedly. We consider that the repeated transmission of a trail containing this language, where the context was not readily understood, was not appropriate on a widely available channel at this time of the early evening."